KIRKUS REVIEW

In 1697 Bristol, England, the
daughter of a wealthy merchant and his West Indian slave falls in love with the
man who will become Blackbeard.

Anne has become a maid in the
Drummond household, where she meets seagoing scion Edward—"Teach”—whose father
insists that he remain ashore to learn the family business. He has been
betrothed to the titled Patience for years. Anne, meanwhile, wants only to
escape her life as a maid, scrimping and stealing small objects so that she can
buy passage to the West Indies. Despite their initial intense dislike of one
another, it will surprise no one when Edward and Anne fall in love. When Anne’s
past becomes known, the elder Drummond takes her in as his ward, but he would
never approve of a romance between the biracial girl and his son. Castroman
promotes Anne as the main character despite the alternating chapters. Her
plight in the household mirrors Edward’s, as he also yearns to escape to the
sea, though the power imbalance between the two is largely elided. The story
ends hanging in the air with Teach having just been dubbed Blackbeard, paving
the way for a sequel. The author largely invents Edward as a romantic lead,
giving few character-based hints of his piratical future.

Be the first to discover new talent!
Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our Pro Connect email alert.
Sign up here to receive your FREE alerts.